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Gaijin or.......

Personally I don't care to be called "Gajin" though in my presence it never happened to me. I was either called by my name or my relation to another person.
There was conversation with a Japanese friend of mine and we talked about my experience at a club and how my friends and me have been "targeted". He said something along the lines that we're very attracting and my response was "I guess because we're gaijin." I choose that word because for me it really had nothing to do with my nationality but just with the fact that I'm obviously not Japanese. Also I, too find it more convenient to type or say "gajin" instead of "gaikokujin".

Though I think it really depends on how it's said. There surely is a rude way to say "gaijin" which carries negative feelings but due to my experiences and those of friends it's mostly used to define the person. Like when they'd say "this person" it won't be clear if it is a foreigner or not they're talking about.
 
"Gaijin" usually has a negative, exclusionary connotation. As in "not-us (Japanese)." After hearing it often enough, spoken as if you aren't even present, your ears can get a bit sensitive to the word.

When I lived in Japan some years back, most landlords wouldn't rent to "gaijin." Even a few restaurants wouldn't serve "gaijin." And they weren't even ashamed to say it to my face.

I haven't heard someone someone say the English word "foreigner" for many years, I think. People here usually prefer to reference the person's nationality. Yes, that's right! A guy from Iraq is an "Iraqi." If you're from Japan, you're "Japanese."

You might be referred to as an "Asian" or "European" if someone isn't quite sure where you're from. But "foreigner" sounds kind of ignorant -- as if you don't know, and can't be bothered to learn, the person's nationality.

"Gaijin" is a word that doesn't care where you're from. It only means that you're non-Japanese, and that's the only thing the speaker likely cares about.
 
I disaggree, "gaijin" is used most of the time purely as a way I identifing someone in conversation, I would liken it saying the guy with blonde hair. I will say most of the time, there is absolutely no ill intent when used.
 
RolandtheHeadless said:
I haven't heard someone someone say the English word " foreigner " for many years, I think. People here usually prefer to reference the person's nationality. Yes, that's right! A guy from Iraq is an "Iraqi." If you're from Japan, you're "Japanese."
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US media never ever used the word ' foreigner ',instead either ' alien ' or ' immigrant ' is more common.
 
Gaijin da mon

I like being non-Japanese. Aside from being true, it gives me an excuse for being wagamama. I always use the excuse, "Boku wa gaijin da mon," when doing something my Japanese friends wouldn't. And you have to admit, we gaijin are usually clueless about how to act Japanese.
 
I always use the excuse, "Boku wa gaijin da mon," when doing something my Japanese friends wouldn't.
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This is just a personal thing, but I don't like to hide behind the fact that I'm not Japanese. Indeed it helps you a lot if step across a boarder you shouldn't have but I try not to do it again - given that I'm aware of the things I've done wrong. (What in fact could be difficult if you're not told what went wrong)
 
You know this is weird, nobody has mentioned something my Japanese teacher told me about the word 'gaijin', she said it actually refers to extra-terrestrials and the proper word for a foreigner is 'gaikokujin'. I'm guessing in the less polite way gaijin still means foreigner but also does mean aliens, I think this might be the sort of connection Japanese people give us, we're 'aliens' in a sense.
I'm not really offended by the word, since I've always been an outsider even to the country I'm born in (I'm of Iranian descent), most people just use polite terminology to sugercoat the fact I'm not white and when some don't sugercoat they really don't sugercoat, while the Japanese are pretty straight forward with the fact your not Japanese and don't mess around.
 
Here's the issue...

I suppose it depends on the tone it is used. I refer to myself as "gaijin" because I am a gaijin. I'm American, not Japanese. I wouldn't be offended if a Japanese person called me a gaijin...but again, it depends on the tone of it.

I suppose the real controversy comes from the literal translations...

ﾅ?Oﾂ坂?伉人 = gaikokujin = outside country person = person from another country
ﾅ?Oﾂ人 = gaijin = outside person = outsider

When taken in that context of the "in group" versus "out group" of Japanese culture, it could be taken as an offensive term. But in most cases should not be.
 
I've been called a lot worse, so gaijin is not that bad. If they want to refer to me as that then so be it, if I call them names and they get up in arms I guess it's just a one way street.

I liken them to people who have no humor.
 
Like many people said, it's the tone of how you say "gaijin" in that matters. I wouldn't be offended if I were called a "gaijin" because I would be a foreginer if I went to Japan. In fact, I'd feel kinda cool if I were called "gaijin". It'd make me seem like I were an interesting person.
 
Then why do you think Japanese who travel abroad are not so cool over being referred to as gaijin there?
 
Well, I guess it depends on who thinks that they're cool or not. Some people think that people from different countries are cool and others don't. The reason why some don't think it's cool is because, well, I guess I can't really answer that. Everyone has different stories and opinions on why they feel a certain way.
 
i would prefer to be called by my nationality if i were in a foreign country, but if people don't know you it's hard to figure what country you're from eh ?

gaijin with the meaning as 'outsider' might be taken to litterally, maybe should be understood as 'foreigner' indeed. there's japanese people who are being called gaijin too though, because they're 'outsiders' so i can see why it's a bit discomforting. i wouldn't take it as an insult because it's become such a common term to refer to western people in japan but maybe it would've been nicer to have a more flattering term as the common way to refer to foreigners.. but foreigners = gaijin or gaikokujin (person from a foreign/outside country) maybe use ryokoosha instead ? ..or westerner ? since people in western countries seems to refer to people from asian countries as asians not particularly chinese or japanese or korean etc if they don't know the people in question but if you hear them talk i find it more polite to refer to them by their spec. nationality.
 
Putrefaction said:
I've been called a lot worse, so gaijin is not that bad. If they want to refer to me as that then so be it, if I call them names and they get up in arms I guess it's just a one way street.

I liken them to people who have no humor.
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What "names," and who is "they"?
 
They: people who call me names.
Names: Muslim, Terrorist, Brown Boy, things along that nature. I'm not Muslim or Arabic.

You call one Italian a Guido Faggot and it's OH NO YOU DIDNT
 
Putrefaction said:
They: people who call me names.
Names: Muslim, Terrorist, Brown Boy, things along that nature. I'm not Muslim or Arabic.

You call one Italian a Guido Faggot and it's OH NO YOU DIDNT
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A lot of people can't or wont distinguish brown people and just assume that they're all Middle Eastern and they're all terrorists. I can't imagine the trouble some East Indian men go through just because they wear turbans.

In some ways it can barely be called racists ... it's just good old-fashioned ignorance. Sort of like how all white people are American. Unfortunately that is something that can only really be solved through exposure and education... and even then you get some people who will judge simply because you're 'different'.

It's the sad reality of the world ... but it's getting better. Slowly, but I think the world is making progress. Who knows, one day Dr Kings dream might become a reality around the globe.
 
Derfel said:
Oh, Dr Plagiarist you mean? Malcolm X owns him anytime.
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Not really adding to this thread but that was pretty pointless.

MadamePapillon: I too hope that Dr King's and many other great humanitarian's dreams become a reality.
 
kusojiji said:
You're too nice. It was completely pointless.
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Akin to that, or this message.

Fact remains fact. I do not wish to follow the dream of a plagiarist.
Equality is very much desired in my opinion too, do not get me wrong.
 
Derfel said:
Akin to that, or this message.

Fact remains fact. I do not wish to follow the dream of a plagiarist.
Equality is very much desired in my opinion too, do not get me wrong.
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Gosh, what a bold position! Are you hoping someone, anyone, will be impressed, or are you really that fond of criminals who think white people were created by a mad scientist?
 
kusojiji said:
Gosh, what a bold position! Are you hoping someone, anyone, will be impressed, or are you really that fond of criminals who think white people were created by a mad scientist?
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Malcolm X only ever joined the Nation of Islam because it served his purposes. He was a guy who was ready to get his hands dirty, not the goody goody type.
 
Yours is a 21st century judgment, but don't forget that it all happened ages back, when segregation was a very real and actual problem. Surely you can't blame him for being pissed with with the slow and seemingly ineffective way of doing things of all the 'super harmony blah blah' groups.

I mean, put it this way, if you're the disadvantaged (severely) party in an oppressive regime which upholds (the south at least) segregation, what would you do?
 
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